diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/apiserver/apiserver.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/apiserver/apiserver.go
index 2eb164c6a7b..85996730602 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/apiserver/apiserver.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/apiserver/apiserver.go
@@ -142,16 +142,22 @@ func (c completedConfig) New(delegationTarget genericapiserver.DelegationTarget)
 	if apiResourceConfig.VersionEnabled(v1beta1.SchemeGroupVersion) {
 		storage := map[string]rest.Storage{}
 		// customresourcedefinitions
-		customResourceDefintionStorage := customresourcedefinition.NewREST(Scheme, c.GenericConfig.RESTOptionsGetter)
-		storage["customresourcedefinitions"] = customResourceDefintionStorage
-		storage["customresourcedefinitions/status"] = customresourcedefinition.NewStatusREST(Scheme, customResourceDefintionStorage)
+		customResourceDefinitionStorage, err := customresourcedefinition.NewREST(Scheme, c.GenericConfig.RESTOptionsGetter)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		storage["customresourcedefinitions"] = customResourceDefinitionStorage
+		storage["customresourcedefinitions/status"] = customresourcedefinition.NewStatusREST(Scheme, customResourceDefinitionStorage)
 
 		apiGroupInfo.VersionedResourcesStorageMap[v1beta1.SchemeGroupVersion.Version] = storage
 	}
 	if apiResourceConfig.VersionEnabled(v1.SchemeGroupVersion) {
 		storage := map[string]rest.Storage{}
 		// customresourcedefinitions
-		customResourceDefintionStorage := customresourcedefinition.NewREST(Scheme, c.GenericConfig.RESTOptionsGetter)
+		customResourceDefintionStorage, err := customresourcedefinition.NewREST(Scheme, c.GenericConfig.RESTOptionsGetter)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 		storage["customresourcedefinitions"] = customResourceDefintionStorage
 		storage["customresourcedefinitions/status"] = customresourcedefinition.NewStatusREST(Scheme, customResourceDefintionStorage)
 
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/registry/customresourcedefinition/etcd.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/registry/customresourcedefinition/etcd.go
index 2252421148a..06a3fac6c9a 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/registry/customresourcedefinition/etcd.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/registry/customresourcedefinition/etcd.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ type REST struct {
 }
 
 // NewREST returns a RESTStorage object that will work against API services.
-func NewREST(scheme *runtime.Scheme, optsGetter generic.RESTOptionsGetter) *REST {
+func NewREST(scheme *runtime.Scheme, optsGetter generic.RESTOptionsGetter) (*REST, error) {
 	strategy := NewStrategy(scheme)
 
 	store := &genericregistry.Store{
@@ -56,9 +56,9 @@ func NewREST(scheme *runtime.Scheme, optsGetter generic.RESTOptionsGetter) *REST
 	}
 	options := &generic.StoreOptions{RESTOptions: optsGetter, AttrFunc: GetAttrs}
 	if err := store.CompleteWithOptions(options); err != nil {
-		panic(err) // TODO: Propagate error up
+		return nil, err
 	}
-	return &REST{store}
+	return &REST{store}, nil
 }
 
 // Implement ShortNamesProvider